• Clark's Grebe, 8 September 1996,

Minnesota Lake, Faribault County (recir-

culated record).

• Pygmy Nuthatch, 26-28 October

1996, Moorhead, Clay County (identifica-

tion accepted unanimously, with all ten

members voting on potential first state

records; see below for additional com-

ments).

At this same meeting, the following

records were voted on and found to be

Unacceptable:

• Black-headed Grosbeak, late May

1996, Roseau County (photo record).

There is no written description of this

bird, with the only documentation con-

sisting of photographs which are not

clearly identifiable; however, they appear

to be of a male Baltimore Oriole.

• Prothonotary Warbler, 15 May 1996,

Robertson Park, Jackson County (recircu-

lated record). Although the brief descrip-

tion is consistent with this species, it

seems to refer to the species in general

as found in a field guide, not to the indi-

viduals (three were reported) seen in the

field. It also appears to only have been

written weeks later from memory. The

record is also questionable since more

than one Prothonotary was reported, and

since the observers did not know the

species is unusual in southwestern Min-

nesota, having reported to have seen it

there for three consecutive years.

• Tundra Swan, 30 May 1996, near

Karlstad, Kittson County (recirculated

record). The description of this immature

swan suggests it was probably a Trum-

peter Swan, since the overall plumage is

described as a "light gray brown". In late

spring, one-year-old Tundra Swans are

essentially white overall, while Trumpet-

ers retain more grayish brown coloration

in their plumage, as described here.

There was a discussion and vote on

the probable origin of the Rock Ptarmi-

gan seen 20 May 1996 in Grand Marais,

Cook County (The Loon 68:79-81). On

questions of origin all ten members vote,

and a majority accepted it as an unquali-

fied Accidental species: i.e. , the bird was

most likely a genuine wild vagrant, not

an escape or release from captivity.

Another discussion was held on the

status of the Spotted Towhee, which

(along with the Eastern Towhee) was el-

evated to full species status in 1996, and

the following was decided:

1) there are currently enough records

to classify Spotted Towhee as a Regular

species, but MORC will wait until the

next official Minnesota checklist is

drafted (December 1998) before declar-

ing its status as Regular or Casual.

2) in the meantime, documentation

will be requested for all current Spotted

Towhee reports , and, if none is forthcom-

ing or if the documentation is inad-

equate, the record will be disregarded.

3) all Spotted Towhee reports prior to

1996 are considered Acceptable, although

documentation for any of these is also

encouraged.

4) it is up to the discretion of the

Chairman to decide whether or not a

Spotted Towhee record is submitted to

MORC for a vote (i.e., if the documenta-

tion is considered clearly satisfactory by

the Chairman, it can be considered Ac-

ceptable without a vote).

After the identification of the Pygmy

Nuthatch was accepted (see above), there

was a discussion of whether or not to

include it on the Minnesota list. The issue

has been that the bird was only seen to

enter Minnesota on a few occasions as a

direct result of the use of tape recordings

and/ or whistled owl imitations, which at-

tracted it across the Red River from a

yard in Fargo, North Dakota. Eventually,

the nuthatch was accepted to the state list

as an Accidental0 species - that is, a

species involving a "reasonable doubt"

qualification. In effect, this was a com-

promise vote.

Two points of view were expressed at

the meeting. One opinion is the nuthatch

should be included on the state list since

the circumstances involved with the bird

coming into Minnesota were not contrary

to one set of commonly accepted listing

guidelines - i.e., those of the American

Birding Association (ABA). On the other

hand, some are of the opinion it should

Spring 1997

29